6. But suppose perfect obedience for the time to come, could atone for the sins that are past, this would profit thee nothing; for thou art not able to perform it; no, not in any one point. Begin now. Make the trial. Shake off that outward sin that so easily besetteth thee. Thou canst not. How then wilt thou change thy life from all evil to all good? Indeed, it is impossible to be done, unless first thy heart be changed. For so long as the tree remains evil, it cannot bring forth good fruit. But art thou able to change thy own heart, from all sin to all holiness? To quicken a soul that is dead in sin? Dead to God and alive only to the world? No more than thou art able to quicken a dead body, to raise to life him that lieth in the grave. Yea, thou art not able to quicken thy soul in any degree, no more than to give any degree of life to the dead body. Thou canst do nothing more or less, in this matter; thou art utterly without strength. To be deeply sensible of this, how helpless thou art, as well as how guilty and how sinful, this is that _repentance not to be repented of_, which is the fore-runner of the kingdom of God.
7. If to this lively conviction of thy inward and outward sins, of thy utter guiltiness and helplessness, there be added suitable affections sorrow of heart, for having despised thy own mercies, remorse and self-condemnation, having the mouth stop’d, shame to lift up thine eyes to heaven; fear of the wrath of God abiding on thee, of his curse hanging over thy head, and of the fiery indignation ready to devour those who forget God, and obey not our Lord Jesus Christ: earnest desire to escape from that indignation, to cease from evil and learn to do well: then I say unto thee, in the name of the Lord, _thou art not far from the kingdom of God_. One step more and thou shalt enter in. Thou dost _repent_. Now, _believe the gospel_.
8. _The gospel_ (that is, good tidings, good news for guilty, helpless sinners) in the largest sense of the word, means, the whole revelation made to men by Jesus Christ: and sometimes the whole account of what our Lord did and suffered, while he tabernacled among men. The substance of all is, _Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners_. Or, _God so loved the world, that, he gave his only begotten Son, to the end we might not perish, but have everlasting life_. Or, _he was bruised for our transgressions, he was wounded for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed_.
9. Believe this and the kingdom of God is thine. By faith thou attainest the promise. “He pardoneth and absolveth all that truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel.” As soon as ever God hath spoken to thy heart “Be of good chear, thy sins are forgiven thee,” his kingdom comes; thou hast righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
10. Only beware thou do not deceive thy own soul, with regard to the nature of this faith. It is not (as some have fondly conceived) a bare assent to the truth of the bible, of the articles of our creed, or of all that is contained in the old and new testament. The devils believe this, as well as I or thou, and yet they are devils still. But it is, over and above this, a sure trust in the mercy of God through Christ Jesus. It is a confidence in a pardoning God. It is a divine evidence or conviction, that _God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing to them their former trespasses_: and in particular, that the Son of God hath loved _me_ and given himself for _me_: and that I, even I, am now reconciled to God by the blood of the cross.
11. Dost thou thus believe? Then the peace of God is in thy heart, and sorrow and sighing flee away. Thou art no longer in doubt of the love of God: it is clear as the noon-day sun. Thou cryest out, _My song shall be always of the loving kindness of the Lord: with my mouth will I ever be telling of thy truth, from one generation to another_. Thou art no longer afraid of hell, or death, or him that had once the power of death, the devil: no, nor painfully afraid of God himself; only thou hast a tender, filial fear of offending him. Dost thou believe? Then thy _soul doth magnify the Lord, and thy spirit rejoiceth in God thy Saviour_. Thou rejoicest in that thou hast _redemption thro’ his blood, even the forgiveness of sins_. Thou rejoicest in that _Spirit of adoption, which crieth in thy heart, Abba, Father!_ Thou rejoicest in a _hope full of immortality_, in reaching forth unto the _mark of the prize of thy high calling_; in an earnest expectation of all the good things which God hath prepared for them that love him.